Tending the garden…

I had a great conversation a while back I want to try and share with you. I explained that the way I see it, I can’t be jealous of the lady down the road who has an amazing garden. She commits hours every day to weeding, planting, and care taking her yard. Me? Eh. Once a month or so I chop what needs chopping yank any high weeds and call it good. My yard is low maintenance and I don’t tend it often. I can’t expect my yard to look as amazing as someone who is putting in the time each and every day. I don’t get to be jealous of her that is silly – I don’t put in the hours as she does.

This relates to my creativity totally and completely. If I want to learn more watercolor techniques I pull out a colorful image and I play with color, with blending, with how things react.  Every day small or big I can pull something out and try something and learn. This goes for ALL kinds of creative things! This is how I discover new techniques 99% of the time. By playing and giving myself space to learn, improve, discover.

So the next time you feel some jealousy bubbling up consider the hard work and daily effort that person might be making to get to there. If it is someone who can run many miles – how long did that take them? Somebody getting the jobs you wish you had? What prep and work did they do? Somebody amazing at drawing- how many hours and days and years have they worked at that? From experience I can tell you every time I can point to myself and see something I would like to work on or be better at. So it’s up to me- sometimes I’m ok with the simple/low maintenance yard I spend an hour a month on. Other times I decide something is well worth my time and energy and work at it. Make it a priority.

Just yesterday I thought of how it’s been over a week since I played in my art journal. “Time to tend the garden…” I told myself and stamped + watercolored the image you see above. Each time I make the choice to hone a craft or improve a skill I know it is worthwhile. Not just for the creative fun – but because those little sessions and details, that daily creative play, it adds up.

This journal page will include a list of things I feel I’m doing well, and 2 things I’d like to spend more time on. Only two because let’s face it – we can’t be good at and spend time on all the things! At least, not all at once.